Page 51 - Movers, Shapers, and Everything in Between: Influencers of the International Student Experience

characteristics such as quality, proportions of international and domestic students enrolled, student performance or outcomes. Student characteristics such as openness to new experiences, self- efficacy, and study habits are not available to determine their role in satisfaction and integration. Because the ISB survey is based on voluntary self-report, students’ interpretation of questions may vary. Results may be impacted by demand characteristics of the study and what types of students choose to respond to the survey. All of these factors potentially affect the validity of the ISB and must be acknowledged as limitations of the study.
Notwithstanding, these results contribute to the body of research in the area of international student experience, strengthening the notion that integration plays a key role in determining the satisfaction levels of students. Examining a wider scope of international students may reveal additional insights into what hinders or helps integration. More insight into the minds of international students is at the core of understanding their experiences, including why a student’s level of integration, despite his or her nationality, is predictive of satisfaction.
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The Role of Integration
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